About SAIC

A leader in educating artists, designers, and scholars since 1866, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) offers nationally accredited undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate programs to more than 3,500 students from around the globe. Located in the heart of Chicago, SAIC has an educational philosophy built upon an interdisciplinary approach to art and design, giving students unparalleled opportunities to develop their creative and critical abilities, while working with renowned faculty who include many of the leading practitioners in their fields.

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Elissa Tenny is the 15th executive and first woman to lead the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in its 150-year history. She became President in July 2016, assuming broad responsibility for overseeing the School’s world-renowned academic programs, strategic direction, and operations across all facets of the institution. A career-long proponent of art and design education and the liberal arts, Tenny is an advocate of interdisciplinary practice, of diversity in higher learning, and of the role higher education plays in society and the world at large.

Tenny joined SAIC in 2010 as Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, in which capacity she stewarded the School’s educational mission, including academic affairs, student affairs, and technology concerns among many other areas. Tenny’s signature initiatives as Provost include establishing the Earl and Brenda Shapiro Center for Research and Collaboration; implementing the School’s strategic plan, which identified priority areas of focus for enhancing academic programming, creating organizational efficiencies, and developing diversity initiatives; realizing a library renovation while bringing a sense of focused collegiality to the daily operations of the School; and co-chairing SAIC’s 150th Anniversary celebrations throughout the 2015–16 academic year.

Tenny came to SAIC from Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont, where she served as Provost and Dean from 2002–10. At Bennington she successfully promoted interdisciplinary and integrative scholarship, crafting strategic plans for the college, enhancing curriculum planning, and creating faculty development initiatives.

Prior to joining Bennington, Tenny served in a variety of roles at The New School in New York City from 1975 to 2002, eventually holding the positions of Acting Dean (1998–2001) and Vice Dean (2001–02). The New School houses the Parsons School of Design, and Tenny’s focus there included promoting diversity, quality, and creativity in academic programming and student services.

In addition to her long list of outstanding career accomplishments in academia, Tenny holds a Doctor of Education from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Arts in Media Studies from The New School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Stockton University.

For 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers, and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries, and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, Jeff Koons, and LeRoy Neiman.